Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mambajao and Makati

For one person, living is cheaper in Mambajao: $497 a month against $1,174 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

24

Cost of Living Index in Mambajao
Learn more

Mambajao Living Index
56

Cost of Living Index in Makati
Learn more

Makati Living Index

Jump to prices

Mambajao

🇵🇭 Philippines

$497

/mo nomad

Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,174

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mambajao and in Makati

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mambajao and in Makati actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $497 in Mambajao versus $1,174 in Makati.

Mambajao $497
Makati $1,174

Estimated couple costs with rent: $799 in Mambajao versus $1,962 in Makati.

Mambajao $799
Makati $1,962

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,101 in Mambajao versus $2,750 in Makati.

Mambajao $1,101
Makati $2,750

Living in Mambajao costs roughly 58% less than in Makati, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mambajao 63% lower, Makati 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.36 ₱86.1

$4.72 ₱300

-71.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.81 ₱1,004

$26.37 ₱1,674

-40.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.20 ₱203

$4.01 ₱255

-20.20%

Cappuccino

$2.18 ₱138

$2.46 ₱156

-11.38%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 ₱23.97

$1.05 ₱66.8

-63.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ₱17.82

$0.59 ₱37.49

-52.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.94 ₱59.6

$1.16 ₱73.7

-18.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₱70.7

$2.41 ₱153

-53.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.84 ₱53.1

$1.86 ₱118

-54.84%

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 ₱36.48

$1.12 ₱71.3

-49.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.67 ₱42.78

$0.99 ₱62.6

-32.32%

Eggs

$1.20 ₱76.2

$2.20 ₱139

-45.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.43 ₱345

$7.51 ₱477

-27.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.17 ₱265

$4.63 ₱294

-9.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.59 ₱355

$7.01 ₱445

-20.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 ₱145

$3.23 ₱205

-29.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 ₱95.1

$1.90 ₱121

-21.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ₱152

$2.76 ₱175

-13.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.12 ₱71.3

$0.88 ₱56.1

27.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₱78.3

$1.33 ₱84.4

-7.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 ₱140

$1.38 ₱87.5

59.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₱69.0

$1.87 ₱119

-41.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ₱33.31

$0.58 ₱36.98

-10.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.91 ₱185

$3.03 ₱192

-3.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.44 ₱473

$9.67 ₱614

-23.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 ₱64.4

$1.25 ₱79.6

-19.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₱73.0

$2.01 ₱128

-42.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 ₱13.04

$0.76 ₱48.44

-72.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.49 ₱793

$57.7 ₱3,663

-78.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 ₱48.07

$0.75 ₱47.73

1.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.97

$0.20 ₱12.69

10.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.86 ₱118

$1.96 ₱124

-5.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ₱78.2

$1.25 ₱79.6

-1.60%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$20.9K ₱1.3M

0.05%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$19.3K ₱1.2M

$18.9K ₱1.2M

1.70%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$63.3 ₱4,019

$111 ₱7,037

-42.88%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$15.26 ₱969

$16.82 ₱1,068

-9.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.19 ₱1,218

$24.00 ₱1,524

-20.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.84 ₱1,958

$56.6 ₱3,594

-45.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.33 ₱338

$14.14 ₱898

-62.31%

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 ₱317

$6.31 ₱400

-20.76%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$128 ₱8,148

$619 ₱39.3K

-79.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,987 ₱507.1K

$5,231 ₱332.1K

52.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.01 ₱2,032

$55.4 ₱3,518

-42.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.38 ₱1,231

$31.32 ₱1,988

-38.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.5 ₱4,409

$70.0 ₱4,444

-0.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.5 ₱3,521

$57.8 ₱3,672

-4.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$96.7 ₱6,141

$820 ₱52.0K

-88.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$55.8 ₱3,539

$495 ₱31.4K

-88.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$235 ₱14.9K

$2,487 ₱157.9K

-90.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$154 ₱9,764

$1,294 ₱82.2K

-88.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,632 ₱167.1K

$5,608 ₱356.0K

-53.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,104 ₱70.1K

$3,558 ₱225.9K

-68.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$150 ₱9,516

$524 ₱33.2K

-71.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.92

-1.14%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Mambajao: November 3, 2026

Last update for Makati: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Mambajao

$152 30.6%

Makati

$203 17.3% 33.5% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mambajao

$98 19.7%

Makati

$152 12.9% 55.1% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Mambajao

$79 16%

Makati

$97 8.2% 21.7% $17

Eating Out

Mambajao

$56 11.3%

Makati

$97 8.2% 72.1% $40

Accommodation & Living

Mambajao

$56 11.2%

Makati

$495 42.1% 787% $439

Sport & Entertainment

Mambajao

$41 8.2%

Makati

$69 5.9% 69.5% $28

Getting Around

Mambajao

$15 3.1%

Makati

$62 5.3% 312% $47

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $97 in Mambajao and $820 in Makati. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Makati pays about 3.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $16 in Mambajao vs $26 in Makati for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $152 vs $203 per month, with Mambajao cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Mambajao

🇵🇭 Makati

🕒 Local time

11:27 11:27 AM

Same time as Mambajao

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

41,094

582,602

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.58 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.58 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mambajao Makati 710 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Mambajao
Makati

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Mambajao vs Makati: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mambajao wins on cost – living expenses run 58% lower than in Makati. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Mambajao the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 71% lower in Mambajao. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $97 in Mambajao versus $820 in Makati. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $497 per month in Mambajao versus $1,174 in Makati – Mambajao is about 58% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Mambajao runs roughly 78% less than in Makati. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $497 in Mambajao versus $1,174 in Makati, a $800 budget is realistic in Mambajao but tight or insufficient in Makati. The gap between the two cities makes Mambajao the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Mambajao and Makati are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Mambajao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Makati. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.